Of Ice and Water ( Gruvia )
by Mister Nailbrain
Summary: After a mission goes horrendously wrong, Grey and Juvia are seperated from the rest of Fairy Tail. Stranded and alone in the wilderness and with the deadly chill of Winter on the way, the two mages must struggle together to stay alive. But all is not as it first appears and soon the duo must soon battle something far more lethal than the elements.
1. Autumn's Fall

Long white fingers of frost creapt slowly along the ground, stretching out as of to ensnare all that they could within their grasp. Leaves, red and brown with the dying hue of Autumn became coated with a thin layer of icy crystals as the season gave way to the coming onslaught of Winter. A stream, as ancient as the very elemental powers that whirled around it, began to grow lesser in stature as the edges gradually froze over. The air was crisp, disturbed only by a breeze that while , seemingly gentle at first, carried with it an icy chill that knifed through anyone that decided to venture out into Winter's embrace.  
Not that any of this bothered the girl as she stood atop a bridge looking down into the flowing waters. Wrapped up tightly in a fur trimed coat and hat, her clothing protecting her from the worst of the chill. Sparkling like brilliant sapphires in her porcelain skin, her eyes watched as the last few leaves fell from their lofty perches and danced gracefully to the frozen floor. Twirling her long, blue hair around one of fingers absent mindedly, Juvia Lockser reached inside her pocket and pulled out a small golden locket. The pendant was a simple affair and not overly extravagant. Shaped like a heart, the locket was attached to a chain around Juvia's slender neck. Juvia began to fumble with the lock ( the cold weather had caused her to lose some of the dexterity in her hands) opening the case and allowing her to peer in. Inside were two portraits. The first was of Juvia herself and showed her smiling vibrantly. The second one showed a young man about the same age as Juvia. He had rich ebony hair and dark eyes that contrasted brilliantly with his pale skin. His handsome features formed a look of determination, a look that Juvia uttered adored.  
"Oh Grey, " she sighed closing the locket and holding it close to her chest, her breath forming whisps of vapour in the cold air. " One day you will be mine and our family will be beautiful. " She then drifted off into her imagination as she pictured her and Grey sat on the porch of a cozy, little cottage with his arm around her.

To say that Juvia was obsessed with Grey would be the understatement of the century. She absolutely adored him with every fibre of her being and would do almost anything to make him fall for her. Grey himself was a good friend of the water mage but had never shown any direct signs of romantic interest. How he would react to the tens of pictures of him on Juvia's mantlepiece or the fact that she slept with a little Grey doll was unknown but Juvia hoped he would see it as a token of love and not freak out.  
Shivering slightly, Juvia held her arms tightly across her chest and checked the time. Five thirty. The sun was now starting to set over the horizon allowing the dark of night to trickle slowly in. Turning on her heels, Juvia slowly started to make her way back towards the guild hall, passing through the marketplace to save time. Relatively empty, bar a few last minute shoppers seeking a bargain as the sellers often lowered the prices on their wares so they wouldn't have to repack them. Paying no heed to the sellers calling out to her, Juvia made her way quickly to the guild hall.  
Brightly illuminated by lights, the Fairy Tail guild hall stood magnificently in the twilight. A banner with the Fairy Tail emblem emblazoned upon it fluttered slightly in the breeze. Juvia could not but help feel a stirring of pride as she looked up at the banner. The Fairy Tail wizards had accepted her like a family. Of course every family had its problems but Juvia wouldn't switch them for anyone in the world.

As she opened the ornate wooden doors, Juvia was greeted by a blast of noise as her fellow guild members went about their business. At the bar, Juvia could make out her old friend Gajeel arm wrestling with Elfman Strauss. Muscles were visibly bulging under their arms as the two men strained against each other, both equally matched in both physical strength and their sheer stubborness and refusal to back down. A small crowd had gathered around them, placing bets on who they thought would be the victor. As far as Juvia could tell, the onlookers would have a while yet to wait.  
Other wizards sat at tables, chatting idly amongst themselves while Mirajane worked her way around them. The young woman looked up and waved to Juvia, a smile that could have launched a thousand ships painted upon her delicate features. Dipping her head in greeting, Juvia smiled briefly to Mirajane before scanning the tables for a place to sit. Eventually she spotted him. Sat at a table not far from the the back of the room, Grey sat reading a sheet of paper from the jobs board.  
As she walked over, Juvia's heart sank as she recognised an all too familiar figure sat opposite Grey. Lucy Heartfilia blew aside her golden blonde hair as she chatted to Grey. Although both Grey and Lucy denied it, Juvia was certain that the blonde celestial mage was hitting on her love. They spent a lot of time together after all and while Grey did spend a lot of time with another woman, Erza Scarlet, Juvia knew that his relationship with her was more out of mutual respect, friendship and Grey's absolute terror of angering the red head demon. Lucy was a different matter entirely, not being the kind of person hat struck fear into anyone and often tried to make friends with everyone in the guild.  
" Are you sure you won't come with me and the others?" Lucy asked as Juvia drew closer, contemplating if she should arrange an "accident" that would remove Lucy from Grey for a period of time. After all stairs were known to get slippery when wet.  
The ice mage shook his head slowly. " No thanks Lucy. With all due respect, I was thinking of doing a bit of solo work for a bit. That and Firebrain has been really getting on my nerves recently and I need a break."  
" Suit yourself, " sighed Lucy getting up genty, " I'll see you around. I'll try and talk to Natsu about your feud and see if he can tone it down a bit."  
As Lucy walked away, Juvia thought she picked up a hint of dejection in her voice. Allowing herself to smirk quietly, Juvia watched her go and sit with Natsu. " Yes, go to Natsu," Juvia mused, " He may not be as amazing as my Grey Sama but he should be a perfect replacement for you Lucy."  
" Oh hey Juvia, didnt see you there," Grey's voice broke Juvia out of her schemes to set up Lucy and Natsu to eliminate a love rival.  
" Good evening Grey Sama," she blushed and waved her hand nervously, " Juvia was just came back from her evening walk."  
"You went out in that weather?" Grey slowly raised an eyebrow, " You must be absolutely freezing. Come and sit here and we'll see what we can do to warm you up."  
Slowly, as though unsure if Grey really wanted her there or was just being polite, Juvia took a seat next to Grey. The ice mage smiled and rubbed her back gently. "Oh you are cold. Mira?"  
While Grey placed an order, Juvia felt her face flush bright red. Grey had rubbed her back! He was trying to comfort her. " _Does this mean he loves me?"_ _  
"_ Thank you Mira." Grey smiled as Mira placed two hot chocolates in front on him and Juvia. Looking up, Juvia took the drink and watched as Mira stood there.  
"So looks like you two are finally official. " Mira beamed as she stod watching them. " Well good for you, many of us were wondering how long it would be."  
"What? No," Grey replied softly, " We were just having a drink as friends."  
" Whatever you say," Mira smiled and walked away leaving Juvia and Grey at a loss for words. Sitting quietly, Juvia drank with a glum look upon her face. Just friends. Was that all that Grey saw her as.  
Glancing up at him, Juvia caught Grey glancing at her. Hurriedly he dragged his eyes down at the paper then back at her. Juvia giggled internally.  
" What do you have there Grey Sama?" she pointed at the paper.  
"Oh nothing," he remarked cooly as he rolled up the sheet and pocketed into his jacket, " Just a job I'm thinking of taking." For a moment he looked around awkwardly as if unsure about what to do. Then with exaggerated surprise, he glanced at his watch. "Oh my is that the time? I need to get home."  
" Juvia understands," She nodded, a little saddened that he didnt seem to want to share the information with her. " Thank you for the drink Grey Sama."  
" Any time," he grinned, packing his stuff and leaving the hall. Juvia watched him leave for a moment and smiled sadly. If only she could show him just how much he meant to her. Maybe then he would fall for her. Turning back to her hot chocolate, Juvia fondly hugged herself, imagining herself wrapped in Grey's arms.


	2. An Unexpected Visitor

The sun had barely begun to rise as Grey made his way through the darkened streets. Despite the chill he did not wear anything overly insulating besides that of his normal shirt and coat. He had long ago been taught that as an ice mage, he had to endure the cold and in that he succeeded. Slowly Grey walked turned and headed towards a block over apartments.  
The building wasn't the most modern one in Magnolia but it was far from ancient. Exhaling lightly, the cold turning his breath instantly to vapour on the wind, Grey placed his hand the door and made his way inside. Almost instantly the central heating hit Grey, warming it up. Personally he welcomed it. Just because he was able to endure the cold didnt mean he necessarily liked it. It just meant that he learnt how to deal with it and complain less while doing so.  
Glancing at the scrap of paper in his hand, Grey looked at the address. Third floor. Sighing in frustration, he made his way up the flights of stairs until he came to a white door. Trying the knob, Grey found that it was locked. He had half expected it to be but it always paid to be on the safe side. Rapping his knuckles against the wood, Grey knocked on the door, the hard sound echoing throughout the corridor. For a while he heard nothing. Deciding to try his luck again, Grey knocked again but slightly harder and louder. From inside he heard a groggy groaning, accompanied by the shuffling of feet as whoever was on the other side made their way to the door.  
"Juvia doesnt have to pay rent today," she groaned as she opened the door, rubbing her eyes, "Juvia's rent isnt due until tomorrow. "  
" Good morning Juvia."  
Upon hearing Grey's voice, Juvia's eyes quickly widened in surprise and looked up at him. Her left hand shot to her mouth as she made a rapid intake of breath. She rubbed her eyes as though not quite sure if this was real or if she was fantasising again.  
" Grey Sama.." She paused as she was interupted by a loud yawn, " Why...why are you here?"  
" I need to talk to you about something, " he replied calmly, "Something I can only ask you. May I come in?"  
For a moment Juvia didnt respond, instead just staring at Grey with a dreamy look in her eyes although if it was on account of her fatigue or for some other reason, Grey couldn't say. Shaking her head, Juvia nodded and stepped aside, allowing Grey to enter.  
As Grey crossed the threshold, he noted the state of the apartment. Everything seemed to be clean and in its place (not to the standard of Lucy perhaps but still far better than his own apartment). Photo frames adorned the mantlepiece and the couch seemed undisturbed from the night before. Juvia however seemed in stark contrast to her surroundings. Her long, blue hair was messy and tangled compared to how he was used to seeing it at the guild. Her sapphire eyes were still blinking away sleep and instead of a great coat or pretty dress, Juvia was wearing a coffee stained shirt and shorts. Seeming to be painfully aware of this, Juvia embarrassedly grabbed a brush and started working it through her hair.  
" Juvia is sorry that Grey Sama has to she her like this," she blushed, rapidly brushing, "I didnt expect to see you so early."  
Grey nodded in understanding. " Dont worry Juvia, its my fault for not calling ahead. I probably should have so you could have a chance to prepare yourself." As the words left his mouth, Grey began to wonder just how long Juvia actually spent on her appearance in the morning. It had to be a while at the very least.  
While he waited for her to finish, Grey cast his eyes over the pictures on the mantlepiece. He had expected photos of Juvia and some of her friends from the guild but instead was greeted by a multitude of portraits of him. Taking pride of place in the centre was a photo of him and Juvia taken shortly after she had joined Fairy Tail. In it, Juvia was leaning up against him, waving and smiling widely at the camera while Grey rested his arm around her shoulder, The gilded frame had inscribed on it "precious memories." Grey had been aware that Juvia liked him but he honestly had no idea that she treasured their time together this much. In a way, it was kind of flattering.  
Once she felt that she looked acceptable, Juvia put down the brush and turned to face Grey once more, her head tilted to one side slightly. " So what is it that you want to talk to Juvia about?"  
Grey bit his lip slightly as he searched for the words. "If I'm honest, I'm worried you might refuse me. I would understand if you did but it would make me feel a little upset."  
Juvia's eyes sparkled and she clasped her hands over he chest. "Juvia would never refuse you Grey. " From her tone of voice, it sounded to Grey as though she knew what he might say and subsequently what her answer would be.  
" You see Juvia, I wanted to ask you to come on a job with me." he said. For the briefest of moments, the happiness faded im Juvia's face but was replaced by a look of determination.  
" What kind of job?"  
Grey pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, the same one from the day before. He laid out on the coffee table, allowing Juvia to see it. " I'm going after a rogue wizard. The contract doesnt give a lot of details other than that he is experimenting on something incredibly volatile and dangerous and that he may be hiding out in the wilderness north of Magnolia. "  
Juvia nodded slowly as she studied the sheet intently. " Why are you asking Juvia though?"  
Grey thought about his answer for a moment. " Honestly I need some time away from Natsu. Don't get me wrong, he is a good friend but there is only so much of his brash behaviour that I can take. Erza is a good friend also but I dont think Incould spend two weeks alone with her without...setting her off."  
"Two weeks?" Juvia said breathig a little faster.  
" Yes that is how long the trip should last (give or take)," Grey replied, " Lucy I knew is more at home with Natsu than with me and Wendy is too young. As for Gajeel, he is powerful I will give him that but I couldn't stand him for that long."  
"So...so you chose me?" Blood rushed to Juvia's cheek.  
" Why not? " Grey nodded, smiling a bit, "You are a capable mage and you are a good enough friend that I feel that I wouldn't mind spending time with and risking my neck for. So what do you say Juvia?"  
"Two weeks? Alone? With you Grey Sama?" She stuttered as she blushed a deep, deep crimson.  
" Uh yes," Grey replied slowly, not entirely sure Juvia recognised the severity of the trip, "But remember this isnt a holiday. It will be difficult to do anything, particularly with the Winter storms drawing near."  
"Juvia doesn't care," she replied strongly, " Juvia will go through anything for Grey."  
" So you'll come?" He was honestly shocked at how easily he had won her over, he had at least expected to have to persuade her a little. Juvia responded by nodding fanatically.  
" Then I'll meet you at Fairy Tail later to head out," he smiled, somewhat reassured by her enthusiasm. Standing slowly up, Grey stretched and slowly headed towards the door. " Unless there is anything else that you want to discuss? "  
Juvia shook her head, effectively giving Grey permission to leave. As he headed down the stairs, Grey removed his t-shirt to expose his bare chest. Maybe it was just the central heating, but Grey felt very warm.


	3. Setting off

The sun had begun to rise slowly over the horizon as Juvia made her way to the guild hall. The chill of the morning air attempted to penetrate the thick layers of Juvia's coat but to no avail as she plodded on. Slung over her shoulder, the blunette carried a bag containing the essentials she believed that she would need on the job. Shivering slightly, Juvia sighed in relief as she realised she had reached her destination.  
Patiently waiting by the hall's entrance, Grey tapped his foot on the ground as he waited. Vapour trailed out of his mouth as his breath made contact with the sub zero temperatures of the frigid air. Each whisp floated a small way out vefore disapating into the around him. Hearing footsteps, the dark haired mage turned around quickly onpy to relax as he saw the girl padding towards him.  
"Glad you could make it," he remarked with an approving nod, "I hope you're prepared for whatever we may encounter."  
"Juvia is sure," she nodded happily.  
"This won't be easy," he reminded her curtly before outstretching his arm. For a moment, Juvia merely stared at the arm, wondering perhaps if her love wanted to take her by the hand. While they stood still in the cold air, Grey glanced over at the bag slung over her shoulder, beckoning forth with his fingers. Seeming to get the unspoken message, Juvia reached back and handed Grey her satchel. Offering a slight smile, the ice mage raised the seat of his motorcycle to reveal a hidden compartment with which he immediately placed her supplies into.  
Glancing down at his watch, Grey paused. His face took on an expression of utter concentration before looking up at the growing sunlight. Seemingly content with the preparations, he climbed aboard the saddle and revved the engines. A roar echoed through the streets, smoke belching from the exhaust and swirling upwards into the air. Allowing a smirk to spread itself across his handsome features, Grey turned back in the shadow to face the astonished Juvia.  
"Are we going to just stand here all day or are we going to head out?" he asked, "Come on, climb on."  
Once more he outstretched his arm out to Juvia as to aid her in mounting the vehicle. Juvia felt her heart skip a beat as her hand made contact with Grey's and she felt his strength pull her aboard behind him. Wrapping her arms around Grey's mid-section, the blunette tensed her muscles as though to not fall off.  
"Ready?"  
Juvia exhaled quietly and nodded before realising that he wasn't facing her, rendering the gesture useless. "Whenever you are my love."  
Without further warning, Grey gunned the engines. The wheels screeched against the cold stone of the ground, white smoke billowing from the exhaust so that it briefly masked the pair in thick cloud before Grey released the brake and the vehicle shot forth.

Feeling her grip around Grey's waist tightening, Juvia's heart was pounding wildly. The icy wind stung her cheeks and caused her hair to billow out behind her as they gathered speed. Glancing around Grey, she read the speedometre. Already they had reached sixty and were still accelerating at a steady rate.

Up ahead, the pristine city roads gave way to dirt tracks. Rough even at the best of times as the city council saw little point in maintaining these roads, the frozen ice made the tracks especially treacherous at this time of year. The bike judded slightly as the tyres gave way to the new terrain, elicting a slight yelp from Juvia as she struggled to hold on for dear life. In contrast, Grey's face was split by a wide grin as he gunned the throttle.

"You doing alright back there?" Grey's voice was snatched by the wind almost as soon as he uttered the words. Juvia nodded before realising that he couldnt actually see her without risking crashing the bike.

"Yes my Love but couldn't you drive a little slower?" She asked, "Juvia is afraid that otherwise she won't be able to hold on much longer."

"Alright but we'll still have to keep going for as long as possible," he remarked, easing up slightly on the engine. The growls of the machine died only in the slightest but the declaration was enough for Juvia to lean forward and wrap her arms more securely around Grey's chest.

Sighing contently, Juvia closed her eyes as she enjoyed the warmth of his embrace. It was a simple pleasure but one she fully entended to enjoy as the scenery sped by her in a blur.


	4. Forgotten powers and high places

Not a single slither of sunlight could seek to penetrate the stone walls of the ancient citadel that jutted out of the mountain like a blade attempting to pierce the sky. Long since abandoned by those who had built it all those year ago, now it stood derelict upon the crag which it had been built upon, a testament to a bygone era. Once proud statues of mighty warriors had been erroded by rain and snow, crumbling into naught but dust on the wind. The gardens that had once adorned the place were all but upon which the garrison had stood upon as they withstood barrage after barrage of attacks had now long since crumbled to pieces.

Not that the figure that dwelt within cared for such trivial matters. In truth, he had not sought out the citadel for its wealth in tarnished gold or rusted weapons. Any would be treasure hunter with half of his wit intact from the perilous climb could see that all such material titbits had long since been picked clean off this corpse by other such vultures.

No that had not been the reason. Indeed the figure had chosen this desolate ruin for that very reason. Very few maps still showed the citadel upon them. Even those that did were in excess of being over five hundred years old at the very least and much had changed since those cartographers recorded their data. Years of rain had caused the surrounding villages that had dwelt within the shadow of the tower to be gradually buried under landslides, which would become further overgrown until one would have no clue that a settlement had ever existed in the first place. Even the climb was dangerous. Wolf packs stalked the lowlands preying on anything they could catch. Bandits also patrolled the lower slopes, lying in wait at the edge of the treeline where the road gradually meandered upwards further into the mountain ranges. Those few travellers wanting to make their way to the trade rich lands of the Far East made sure to pass through with heavily armoured transports and a well paid band of mercenaries or, better still, mages by their side.

In the past, some traders and hunters attempted to use the lesser travelled routes that led higher still into the mountains in an attempt to save time. Many subcame to altitude sickness or simply froze to death, not having packed for the radical changes in temperature. Fewer still made it the upper slopes, far above the treeline. Some sought to seek shelter from the lashing winds and driving rain in the caves that blemished the landscape. Seeing that the caves led deep into the heart of the mountain, the more intrepid or otherwise foolish would venture into the darkness. None were seen again.

As a party ventured closer to the peaks, the air became thin and barely breathable. Worse still was the conditions, so cold that even an ice mage would freeze within moments if not protected by thick layers of clothing and incantations of warmth. Even so, only about one in one hundred and fifty people that made the climb actually survived. The frozen bodies of those who had failed littering the unforgiven landscape, perfectly preserved, their still faces crearting the illusion of sleep. Tales told by survivors made mention of sightings of large shapes moving like shadows against the blizzard. Such sightings also record the temperature dropping far colder even when in a blizzard. Often these stories were dismissed as the rantings of madmen whose sansity had been chipped away during the climb or otherwise seen as at most exaggerated sightings of bears.

All of this ensured that no one disturbed the mage, allowing him to work on his somewhat sensitive projects in peace. Listening to the howling wind outside, the figure sat by the flickering light of a candle. Growling in frustration, he slammed his fist down upon the oak of the table. The resounding bang echoed throughout the abandoned halls but were heeded by no ears, save those of the mice who cowered within their holes from the storm.

"Dammit," The wizard growled, "I'm so close. If only I had a little more time."

Glancing at his hand, the man trailed his hand over the ever more prominent wrinkles. Sighing he reached for the drawer. Inside were several vials containing a florescent red liquid. Trembling slightly, he reached for the nearest and uncorked the lid. Sniffing it furtively, he pushed it to his lips and sipped at the elixir within. Within seconds, the wrinkles on his hands faded into nothing. Smiling slightly, the man praised the youth the potion had brought him. It was a recipe that like the ruins, had long since been forgotten but was potent nonetheless.

It was but one of the ways in which he would soon have mastery over the forces of life and death.


	5. The Blind Pig

Only after several hours of riding did Grey think to ask Juvia if they ought to find a place to rest for the night. For her part, Juvia was glad at the chance to finally leave the saddle (as much as she enjoyed the warmth touch of Grey's body against her chest, even she had to admit that she needed to stand up going by the cramps beginning to snake their way into her legs).

By now the weather had changed to a drizzle forcing Grey to gradually ease off the throttle as the visibility slowly began to worsen.

"We'll have to find a place soon," Grey remarked, partly to Juvia, partly to himself, "Before this rain turns into a downpour and I can't see anything."

Soon enough, they saw a light ahead attempting to penetrate the gloom. Slowing down further to investigate, the couple sighed in relief as they realised it that the light was that of an inn, warm and inviting. Swaying in the wind above them, the sign creaked slightly. The painted words, though chipped, were still legible. _The Blind Pig._

Dismounting, Grey felt the rain soaked squelch beneath him. Taking her hand gently, he helped Juvia off of the bike. The water mage was unable to hide a smile although to her credit, resisted the usual urge to embrace Grey in both arms. For a while however, they simply stood looking at each other before grabbing their bags and entering the inn.

As they entered, the two mages cast their gaze about them, their eyes scanning for any sense of trouble. A few faces glanced upwards as if scrutinising the newcomers for any sign of weakness before turning slowly back to their drinks. In the corner, some of the patrons appeared to be playing a card game of sorts. Neither Grey nor Juvia had reached the bar before that particular table was in an uproar, accusations of cheating flying through the air along with a few beer bottles.

The innkeeper, a young woman in her early twenties smiled at Grey behind the counter. When she spoke, it was in the accent of the Western continent, a simmilar manner to that of Bisca and Alzack. "What can I do for you Sugah?"

Grey brushed off the compliment. "My companion and I need a room for the night."

"No problem Handsome. That'll be one thousand jewels." she smiled, batting her eyelids flirtatiously at the young man. Beneath the counter, Juvia clenched her fist and ground her teeth. How dare she flirt with her Grey like that? Only Juvia was allowed to talk to Grey in such a way. She glared with undisguised hatred towards the barmaid, in turn unaware of the man staring totally enraptured at her. In fact it wasn't until he tapped his fat fingers upon her shoulder, causing her to turn around, that she knew he was even there .

"Having problems with your boyfriend Love?" He asked in a slurred voice. His breath reeked of alcohol and his teeth were discoloured to a yellowish brown forcing Juvia to hold back her gag reflex so as to not cause any perceived offense to the drunk.

"Of course not!" she replied, "Juvia is certain that Grey Sama will not fall for the attentions of such a woman."

"Don't be so sure Love," The man chuckled, swilling his tankard before downing the last dregs of beer and belching disgustingly. "Trust me, you could do better than a loser like that. What about a guy like me?"

Before Juvia knew what was happening, the man grabbed her delicate wrist in his meaty paw and tried to pull her into a kiss. Anger flared through Juvia. There was no way in which she was going to allow this slob to get away with this.

 _"Water Cane_." She hissed and lashed out with her right hand. Conjured from the air, a whip of water smacked into the man's nose with a sickening crunch, causing him to relinquish his hold on Juvia as he stumbled back, clutching the ruin of his face. Juvia didnt get far away before she was flanked by two of the man's associates.

"Now that wasn't very nice, was it my dear," The taller of the two men hissed menacingly, the intoxicating aroma of tobacco heavy on his breath.

"She broke ma node," The man from the bar wailed as though he couldn't think of anything more terrible.

"I know but I think I also now a way in which she could apologise," Tobacco breath smirked, running his eyes along Juvia's feminine body. "Dont you lads?"

Juvia was horrified and began to mutter an incantation. Yet it was hardly necessary. No sooner than had he taken one step towards the girl then was he smashed to the ground by a fist.

"Dont you dare touch her." Growled an all too familiar voice.

Running his hand along the part of his jaw that had been almost shattered by the force of the impact, Tobacco breath glared with barely concealed malice at the figure before him. Grey stood in front of the man shirtless (eliciting a squeak from the barmaid) as his chest heaved up and down. Murderous fire burned in the eyes of the young mage as he confronted Tobacco breath.

"You'll pay for that you idiot!" He snarled, reaching into his clothing as he did so. "But if you hand over the girl, I might let you off with a light beating."

"You think I'd let any girl yet alone a friend and guild mate be handed over to a sick creep like you?" Grey growled, balling his hands into fists.

"So be it," Tobacco breath snarled. Lunging forward, the man withdrew a knife from within his coat, attempting to stab Grey in the chest. The blade came arcing down only to be met with a blade of solid ice. The impact caused crystalline shards to fly through the air but Grey's conjured weapon held firm. Shocked, Tobacco breath staggered back a few steps shaking his head.

"You're a wizard," he said as though unsure whether to be angry or scared. Grey smirked in reply and conjured a trio of frozen lances. Shooting them through the air, Grey avoided killing the man by the nearest of margins as he was pinned up against the opposite wall.

As if breaking from a trance, the third man of the group rushed Grey, attempting to grapple the ice mage wizard while his back was just turned. Caught off guard abd restrained by the sudden attack, Grey struggled to fight off his assailant, all the while the man from the bar had grabbed the knife and advanced slowly upon them. For all of their arrogance however, the two brawlers had utterly forgotten about the second mage in their midst.

Steaming with anger, Juvia felt a surge of magical emergy flow through her. Raising her left arm and with extending it out, the rain woman called out her incantation.

" _Water Slicer!"_

As wave of water shot out from her hand. While even the most athletic of people would have had a hard time evading this attack in such an enclosed environment, the drunkard had virtually no chance. Slamming into him with the force of a storm, the water slicer sent him hurtling across the bar where only the wall was able to arrest his flight. Staggering back to his feet, the man was heavily bruised and bleeding from a dozen cuts.

He didn't have time to recover before Juvia was upon him. Pouncing on him like a frenzied animal, Juvia grabbed the man by the throat and preceeded to throttle him. Water evaporated off the mage as a red mist descended over her eyes. Using all of her strength, she repeatedly slammed his head against the building.

Teeth gritted, Juvia drew her arm back for another blow when suddenly a hand grabbed her wrist and stopped her. Pivoting her head, Juvia gasped slightly as she saw Grey gently but firmly holding her. Horrified by the sight of his ally being violently dashed against the inn's wall, the fighter holding Grey had hesistated, unsure whether he should keep fighting the ice mage or otherwise go and attempt to pull Juvia off of him. This moment of hesitation was all Grey needed. Driving his elbow into his attacker's gut, Grey had broken free of his and doubled over by the blow, the third man had chosen wisely to gather up Tobacco breath and stumble out of the inn before either of the mage's fury could be further vented upon them. Slowly Grey shook his head.

"Let him go. He isn't worth it."

Eyes locked with Grey's, Juvia dropped the drunk as though in a trance. Relieved to have been forgotten for the time being, he crawled out of the inn after his buddies, great blossoms of purple adorning his face. For a few seconds, Grey gently held Juvia, attempting to calm her down before turning to the innkeeper and asking for their room key.

Rushing out from behind her hiding place, the girl ran over to them. As she led them up the stairs, the girl kept glancing at Juvia furtively as though afraid that the water girl would lunge at her if she tried to flirt with Grey. Normally Juvia would have given her a warning glare but in this case, she was simply too tired to do so. Reaching their door, the girl handed them the key before rudhing back downstairs.

Sighing, Grey opened the door. The room was small but comfortable. Purple drapes hung from the window and a little sink propped up against the wall. A single king size bed took pride of place in the centre of the room. It was here that Grey's face started going pale. Surely there had to be somewhere else to sleep. Looking around the room, the ice mage sighed as he realised that no such arrangements had been made. Not even a sofa was present for him to lay on. By the look of Juvia's face, Grey could see that she had come to the same conclusion as he. They would have to sleep together.

"Are you okay with this?" Grey asked her, "I mean I guess I could sleep on the floor if you're not comfortable with this."

Juvia's response was a series of stutters while her face turned a vivid shade of scarlet. "Ssleep wi..with Ggrey?" Her sapphire eyes went slightly hazy and her face quickly took on a grin. Faster than Grey could follow, she wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled him slightly. "I knew this day would happen eventually. Oh the very thought makes me want to melt with joy, I can barely believe it."

Grey tried to pry himself out of her grasp, although if anything short of a crowbar would have been capable of such a feat.

"Alright," he said to her calmly, "But try not to get any ideas. I need some sleep after that so try not to toss too much."

If Juvia heard him, she gave no sign. Once again she had drifted off into her own little fantasy realm. Shaking his head, Grey allowed himself a faint smile as he undressed and climbed under the covers. Resting his head on the pillow, Grey felt his eyes growing heavy. A moment later, he fell away into sweet darkness.


	6. A New Day

A single sliver of sunlight shone through the narrow gap between the curtains and illuminated the room. Outside, the sun had slowly begun to rise over the horizon, its glow painting the clouds a peach colour and driving away the shadows of the night prior.

Drifting in and out of the dream realm, Grey stretched his body, trying to awaken his muscles. As he did so, his arm came to a gentle rest on something warm and soft. Not sure as to what this object was, all his sleep addled mind could think to do was to reach over with his other arm, wrapping it and bringing it close to his chest. For reasons he couldn't explain, it somehow felt right.

A gentle, almost minute movement came from the shape. Slowly opening his eyes, Grey was greeted by Juvia's prone sleeping form. Blood rushed to his cheeks as he took a while to remember what had had happened the night before. Content after a few seconds that nothing _amatory_ had happened between them, Grey allowed himself to relax again. Briefly he considered moving his arm from under her but ultimately decided against it, not wanting the disturb the blunette's sleep. Instead Grey merely lay still, holding her in his arms.

"Strange," he thought as he lay there, watching her, "I've never seen Juvia like this. So peaceful."

Something soft brushed his leg. Surprised slightly, Grey reached down and grabbed it. As he pulled, he felt resistance and heard a quiet whimper from Juvia. Holding his breath, Grey pulled again but more gently. The thing came free of Juvia's grasp. Grey's eyes widened as he pulled out the object from underneath the covers.

The doll was soft and appeared to be handmade. It's eyes were two black buttons polished to the point that they looked like black gemstones. Even in his sleep addled state however, Grey could not deny that it bore an eerie resemblance to himself. Yet neither could he deny the fact that it appeared tp have been lovingly made and crafted. The raven hair was soft and comforting to touch and the level of detail was astounding, right down to the guild mark upon the doll's face.

"Did she make this?" Grey mused as he glanced at Juvia then back at the doll, "Its a little..." he struggled to think of a word. "Much but I had no idea she could make something so well. All the same, I'm going to have a talk with her about this. Well at least she doesnt have an army of them."

A gentle moan like the song of a dove startled Grey slightly and caused him to drop the doll. Turning his head toward the sleeping girl, he saw Juvia's eyes slowly flicker open. Propping herself on her right elbow, Juvia yawned before smiling at Grey. Her sapphire eyes seemed to almost sparkle in the light.

"Good morning my love. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeahh, fine I guess." Grey responded. Briefly he toyed with the idea of mentioning the doll to her but quickly discarded it. No need to accidentally upset her as he had a habit of doing with girls. Instead he just smiled and nodded toward her. "And you?"

Juvia smiled. "I could sleep anywhere with you beside me Darling." As she yawned, Juvia went to stretch. Instantly the blanket began to fall revealing glimpses of her smooth, pale body. Grey's face went completely red as he realised and faster than anyone could have predicted, he turned his head so as to not see Juvia's exposed flesh. Juvia tilted her head slightly.

"Are you alright my love?" She asked crawling closer to him, in turn making the blanket fall even further down. "You seem a little red."

Grey felt her brush his arm. Blood began to trickle from his nose. "Uuh yeah. I'll I'll be fine Juvia."

"Oh god Grey Sama," Juvia squeaked, "You're bleeding. Here look at me. Let Juvia clean you up."

"No thanks," he quickly replied, shaking his head. "Not until you cover yourself up at least!"

Juvia gasped slightly and looked at her body. Almost dejectedly, she picked up more of the blanket so that it now covered her.

"Does Grey Sama not think that Juvia has a nice body?" She whimpered quietly. "Does he hate it?"

Grey opened his eyes and turned towards her. He could see a tear starting to form in the corner of her eye. He sighed. He hadnt meant to offend her, quite the opposite in fact.

"No it isn't that," he said softly, placing a gentle hand upon her shoulder. At his touch, Juvia looked up at him. "It's just that I didn't want to make you uncomfortable by seeing you..nude."

Juvia smiled faintly. "Really?"

"Of course," he replied. "I know I don't exactly have the best record for wearing clothes in public but that doesn't mean I'm some perv going around, trying to find girls as they're changing.

As for your body, you have nothing to worry about. Its perfectly fine. Some would go as far to say attractive even."

Juvia blushed at the hidden compliment. Although she wasnt sure if Grey had intended to say it or if he was making an observation, Juvia didnt care. Carefully she climbed out of bed, making sure to keep the blanket covering her as she made her way to her clothes.

"Thank you. But know that Juvia doesnt mind Grey Sama seeing her like this."

Grey thought back to the doll. "I bet you wouldn't ," he muttered under his breath. Shaking his head, he made his way to the sink and turned on the cold tap. The water rushed out, making a splashing sound as it hit the clay basin. Blinking slightly, he cupped his hands underneath the running water before jerking them upwards so that the water splashed over his face. It felt bitterly cold yet surprisingly refreshing as Grey washed his face. As he finished, the ice mage reached for a towel to dry himself before reaching for his clothes.

Juvia sat on the bed, watching as Grey got dressed. In her hand, she brushed her hair to make herself appear more presentable to him. She always spent close to half an hour on her appearance before she went to the guild hall in hopes of catching Grey's eye.

Blushing, she remembered the previous night. Truth be told she could have easily dealt with the men at the bar herself. But the way Grey had interveened, it had almost made Juvia literally melt away at the thought. He had been her knight in shining armour (or rather lack of). And when he had fallen asleep, she had cuddled up in the warmth of his embrace. It had been everything the blunette had imagined it to be and more.

"Did you hear me Juvia?"

Juvia nearly jumped as she heard Grey's voice. Shyly, she turned towards the ice mage. "Sorry Grey Sama, Juvia's mind was elsewhere."

Grey rolled his eyes, although it wasn't done with annoyance as it may have done if it had been Natsu or someone else. Rather it appeared that he found her absent mindedness almost cute.

"It's okay. I said maybe we should head..."

A loud knocking came at the door. Grey growled in annoyance this time and stormed over. Flinging open the door, he found nothing but an empty doorway. Frustrated, the ice mage was about to slam the door shut when he felt Juvia's soft hand on his shoulder. Bending down, she daintly picked up a piece of paper left underneath the gap between the door and the floor. Opening the letter, she placed it in between the two of them so that Grey could read as well.

The letter was written on cheap paper that looked like it had been ripped from a binder. The handwriting was scrawled and barely legible. It simply read:

 _" If you want answers, meet me at the town gates after dark. Beware! They are after you! They know! He knows! They are watching the Blind Pig. Move! For God's sake move!'_

 _R"_

Juvia felt shaken as she read the letter. A quick glance at Grey did little to reassure her. The ice mage had gone silent. Before Juvia could say anything, he ran to the window and peeked through the curtains. A dreadful pervasive silence filled the room when suddenly Grey drew away from the window.

"Grey sama?" Juvia asked, her voice little more than a whisper. Grey turned from the window and looked at Juvia. His face appeared calm but Juvia could see something flash in his eyes.

"Get your things. We need to go. Now."


	7. Hidden in the Shadows

The sound of the bike's motor was almost drowned out by the general hubbub of the crowd. Grey cursed under his breath as he and Juvia tried to navigate their way through the packed and narrow streets. Enticing smells of fried food from various market stalls floated through the air, making the ice mage that he had had a time for a proper meal.

There it was again. Briefly, Grey caught a glimpse of a black hood in the crowd. It seemed to watch him for a moment before being swallowed by the crowd of people. Grey shook his head and revved the engines, hoping that the crowd would part. A few people gave him dirty looks but eventually parted. He sighed in relief.

"My love, what did you see?" Juvia asked, clutching Grey's mid section as though her life depended on it. The water mage looked around but was unable to find anything hidden among the masses.

Grey inwardly shivered as he remembered what he saw looking out of the window into the alleyway. At first, he had seen nothing and had initially dismissed his suspicions as paranoia. Yet the very moment he had gone to look away, he had seen it. There hidden in the alley had been a cloaked figure, intently watching their very window. Now if this was the person that had given them the message or someone else, he could not say. All he knew was that something didn't seem right when he saw them. To make matters worse, the moment the figure noticed that he had been spotted, he had fled the scene.

"I saw someone watching us?"

Juvia unintentionally gripped him harder. "You mean "them?" She asked referring to the mysterious "they" the letter had described.

Grey gasped as he felt her hold him. "I don't know. But keep your eyes open."

Juvia nodded and glanced around. By now, their progress had slowed to a crawl as the traffic began to converge. Up ahead, they could hear faint yelling and a thick column of smoke snaking its way up into the horizon. The acrid stench of petrol fumes hung heavy in the air and the general chatter from the crowds going about their daily business.

As they came to a stop, Grey began to wonder about the letter. In truth, the scrap of paper had raised more questions than it had answered. First and foremost was who had sent it to them. All Grey had to go on was the letter R as proxy for a proper signature. He knew no one who's name began with an R (or at least none came to mind). If this was the case, then how did they find them?

Secondly was the problem of whoever "they" and "he" was. Was it possible that their target had known of their coming? Impossible. There was no way he could have known about it. And even if he had, how would he have been able to not only find out their exact whereabouts but also dispatched assassins in the day since they had set off? Grey doubted that even Mirajane hyped up on caffeine and a speed spell could spread a rumour that quick. Could she?

Suddenly Grey felt a sharp tug around his waist. On instinct, he gripped the handlebars so as not to fall off and turned to face Juvia.

"What the hell..." Grey was immediately silenced by Juvia jerking her towards the crowd. For a moment Grey sat there dumbfounded before finally getting the message. Casually looking around so as not to draw attention, Grey saw a cloaked figure heading towards them through the crowd. Upon being noticed, the figure seemed to act with more haste than before as he shoved people out of his way..

"Juvia sees another one," Juvia whispered and gestured to another cloaked figure who was pushing his way through the crowd towards them. Muttering the beggining words of a spell, Grey felt an icy aura surround him. Maybe he was wrong and it was a huge misunderstanding? After all, since when did assassins wear black cloaks and hoods in public so as to announce their profession to anyone curious enough to ask? He looked again and saw a flash of steel. No they were definitely coming towards him. He felt Juvia tensen as she prepared to defend herself. Yet something else was off. Whoever had sent these people must have known he was facing two fairy tail wizards. In that case why send rank amateurs unless..?

"Get down!" He yelled, reaching back and grabbing Juvia, pulling her off the bike. Not a second later, Grey heard an ear splitting bang. He felt dust blast his face at his body hit the ground hard. The sound of the gun shot rang in his ears and only now did Grey fully understand. The cloaked figures in the crowd weren't the assassins. They were the diversion!

"You okay Juvia?" He groaned shaking his head. He tried to stand only to find that the ground beneath his hands felt softer than it should have been. A soft squeak came from the "ground" and as the dust settled Grey realised why. In the rush to avoid the shot, Grey had grabbed the first part of Juvia he could. Now that he could see, the ice mage's face went a vivd shade of scarlet as he saw his hands grasping Juvia's breasts.

"J-Juvia thinks she is o-okay?" She stuttered, her cheeks a deep red."

"I swear I didnt mean..." Another shot interupted Grey as the high calibre round tore through his bark. The screams of the crowd were everywhere.

"Look out," Juvia exclaimed and lashed out with a water whip. Grey felt the rush of water surge past his ear. A cry of pain pierced the air and Grey turned to see one of the cloaked men fall back in pain. Within seconds however, the other was upon them, reaching back with his blade, preparing for the killing blow.

Before the blade could come arcing down, Grey grabbed Juvia and rolled them out of the way before springing to his feet. Hissing in annoyance, the assassin adjusted his stance preparing for the mage's retaliation. Clapping his hands together, Grey felt the icy power flowing through his veins. Calling out his incantation, Grey conjured a trio of spears and sent them hurtling through the air. The figure dived, narrowly avoiding being impaled by the frozen missiles.

Grey risked a glance across at Juvia. The rain woman was dancing a deadly tango with the second figure. Lashing out with a water whip, Juvia only just missed her assailant as he lept back gracefully. Hissing out a string of sibilant words, the man's hands glowed and the shortsword he was holding morphed into a two handed claymore. Requip mages. Thats all they needed.

Swinging at Juvia, the assasin placed a well aim blow at her throat. Only Juvia's reflexes saved her as the steel blade passed through the air mere milimetres from her jugular.

" _Water slicer!"_ Juvia intoned. The wave of water that shot from her hand surged towards the hired killer like a starved wolf through an open cage. Raising his sword in blind hope of shielding himself from the spell, the man was nonetheless swept away like a leaf in a storm.

Turning at the sounds of battle behind her, Juvia watched as Grey grappled with his opponent. There came a sound like the shattering of glass as the assassin's blade clashed with the handle of Grey's ice hammer. Shards of ice flew through the air as the weapon threatened to give way. Roaring with effort, Grey shifted his weight so that the head of the hammer slammed into the into the man's jawbone with a sickening crunch. The man staggered back in agony. Juvia ran over to Grey.

"Are you alright my love?"

"I'll be fine." Grey panting, trying to offer a weak smile when just then another shot whizzed past his head. The sniper, briefly forgotten in the scuffle, had finally managed to get a clear shot.

 _"_ Get behind me Juvia!" Grey exclaimed. As Juvia ran over, she thought she saw the flash similar to that of a requip atop the roofs above her.

" _Ice make Shield!"_ Forming as though from thin air, a large oval shield formed around Grey's right arm, large enough to conceal both of the mages. Less than a second after, Juvia heard a strange mechanical whirring before the very air around her exploded. Grey grit his teeth, his arm and the shield with it thudding to the staccato rythme of the bullets. Crystalline shards of ice ricocheted through the air as Grey's ice make magic battled the full fury or the lead storm unleashed upon it. Hairline fractures began to appear upon the surface of the ice but the shield held firm, blessed be. Grey's arm ached with the effort but he still managed to start moving with Juvia towards the town gates.

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, the sniper decided to requip one last weapon. True, the master uad wanted the wizards removed from the picture quietly. He smirked. He could either do it "quietly " or he could do it right. Resting the cannon on his shoulder, the assassin took aim.

"Say goodnight Fairies."

There was an ear splitting bang and the world around Grey and Juvia erupted into flames. Shattering his shield on impact, the force of the blast carried through to Grey, throwing him back as he tried to shield Juvia.

Ears ringing, Juvia slowly pushed Grey off of her. His breathing was rapid and his eyes barely open. Something limp hung at his side and it took Juvia a moment to realise that it was Grey's arm. A length of jagged shrapnel protruded from the limb and it was bent at a weird angle, causing Grey to groan in agony whenever he attempted to move.

A red mist descended upon Juvia. Slowly she stood up, tendrils of stream snaking away around her body. As if sensing a change in his target, the sniper lowered his weapon slightly.

"Awww whats wrong Sweetie?" He jeered. "Did you break a nail?"

"You hurt Grey Sama..." Juvia mumbled.

"I'm sorry what did you say Sweetheart?" The man cupped his hand to his ear mockingly.

"You hurt Grey Sama!' Juvia screeched like a harpy descending upon its prey, her eyes growing dark with rage.

Eyes widening, the man raised his weapon, preparing to make the shot. But it was too little too late.

 _"Water Nebula!"_ Juvia cried out. A torrent of boiling water lashed out towards the sniper, hissing as it turned to steam on the air. Screaming, the man clutched his face as it burnt and blistered before he and the entire rooftop were swept away.

Grey's mouth was agape with awe as he witnessed the spectacle. Then in stark contrast to the daemonic fury she had just vented on her foe, Juvia turned and gently helped Grey to his feet, his one good arm wrapped around her neck, the damaged one hanging uselessly at his side. Even if he wanted to, Grey doubted he would have been able to stand.

"Are you okay my love?" Juvia asked softly into Grey's ear. All around them, the screams of panicking people filling the atmosphere. Clutching his head slightly, Grey nodded weakly.

"I'll be fine. Let's try and get to the gates."

"But it isnt dark yet?" Juvia pointed out as she carried him.

Grey cursed as he realised she was right. "We'll have to wait for our contact."

Juvia nodded as they trudged through the streets. Up ahead, they could see the town gatehouse starting to appear. Sighing in relief, Juvia started to put on a new burst of speed. They were almost there.

Nearing the gate house, Juvia saw a guard slumped up against the stone walls. At first she thought that he was either asleep of drunk considering the seemingly uncomfortable position in which he was sat in. Only on closer inspection did Juvia notice the crimson stain spreading across the main's chest and the deep puncture in the soldier's armour. A metallic clash from above grabbed the mage's attention, causing both Grey and Juvia to crane their necks to the walls above. Blades locked, a lone guard struggled to fend off two more of the mysterious figures.

Juvia watched them nervously. Had both she and Grey been fit, they could have easily taken them? However with Grey wounded and herself exhausted, she doubted that she alone could take them off. Glancing anxiously at the open gates, Juvia looked at the ice mage draped around her shoulder. Grey groaned in agony and looked as though he would not survive the encounter. Neither of the figures had noticed them yet. Biting her lip nervously, Juvia made a quick split second decision.

Running as quickly as she was able, Juvia dragged Grey out of the town and into the wilderness, unaware of the gathering storm clouds overhead.


	8. The Master's Will

Footsteps echoed off throughout the corridor as the woman made her way towards her master's chamber. The flickering light from those few torch's that were bolted to the walls caused the shadows to dance as she passed.

Approaching the end of the corridor, the woman was stopped by two guards. Clad in suits of black iron, the warriors watched her silently, their faces concealed behind a veil of mail. Only their eyes were visible. Their piercing, red eyes. Inwardly the woman shuddered although she did her best not to let it show. Those eyes held no warmth or even the faintest hint of humanity. Never had she seen one of the guards remove their armour and she was secretly glad of this. Whatever dark powers the Master had coaxed from the stuff of nightmares into the realm of reality was something that she did not necessarily wanted to gaze upon. The guards looked at her as though wondering as to why she was here.

"I have news for the Master," she said pointedly. The figures looked at each other for a moment, allowing an unnatural chill to enter the corridor. The woman felt a shiver run down her spine as she watched them. Were the two guards communicating? No they couldn't be. They weren't simply weren't human.

Then the guards turned back to her and with a unison that bordered on the eerie, they each grabbed one of the two oaken doors and pushed them open with a long mournful creak. Striding past the silent sentinels, the woman's black hair billowed out behind her as she entered the great hall. There was very little ornamentation to the grand chamber for its occupant gave little thought to such things. Indeed the only chair that furnished the place was a throne that had been left behind when the original owners had fled the place. A shadowy figure seated upon the throne, his fingers of one hand drumming against the worm ridden wood while the other clutched a tattered book.

Once more an unnatural chill ran through the girl as she approached the figure, only this time it felt much stronger. Looking down at her, the man leaned forward in his seat as he regarded her. A circlet of iron rested on his brow. His gaze met hers and almost instantly, the girl halted in her approach. Some base instinct inside her screamed at her to run but she did not dare.

"What is it Whisper?" The man asked, his voice smooth yet holding a hint of menace, "You know not to interrupt me during my studies." He gestured with the book in his hand. Whisper swallowed.

"I have received word back on the communication lacrima concerning the Fairy Tail wizards Master Shi." She announced.

Shi raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

Whisper hesistated before replying. "The assassins failed."

Shi shook his head as though mildly disappointed but nothing more. "How unfortunate. Still it is a trivial matter all things considered."

"What do you mean Sir?" Whisper asked, hoping to garner as much information as possible. "How could the arrival of two wizards not concern you, especially concerning that particular guild's history?"

Shi chuckled although the sounded contained no mirth whatsoever and if anything set Whisper more on edge. Truth be told, she was a potent mage in of herself and was more than capable of looking after herself. But Shi was something else entirely. The air around him seemed to crackle with hidden forces that he bended to his will. Comparing them would be akin to comparing a wolf to one of the dragons of legend.

"The wizards could prove to be a threat perhaps," Shi finally replied, "But I am only a few steps away from finishing my work."

Whisper's eyes flashed. "The elixir?"

Shi smirked and produced a vial from within his clothes. Inside a thick liquid of a bright crimson sloshed around. Uncorking the stopper, Shi raised the container to his lips and took a swig before carefully resealing the vial. He dangled it in front of Whisper. "It's almost finished. I just need one last ingredient."

"And that is?" Whisper licked her lips at the sight of the vial. She knew that the Master had long been working to perfect this elixir and had even been able to taste it herself. Just the thought made he shudder at the thought of the rush of power sent surging through her veins that even the faintest drop would bestow. Yet for all that, it still wasn't finished.

"I don't know," Shi admitted, his eyes darkening, "My sources do not state clearly enough what it is. Although I do have a theory..." He shook his head and turned back to her. "Whisper my dear, I have a task for you."

Whisper raised an eyebrow warily. "And that is?"

"You will go and find these wizards. Bring them to me and we will see it if my theory works. If they die, I will have lost nothing and will have suffered no consequence."

Whisper nodding, understanding what she was to do. "And what if I find _him?"_

Shi growled in annoyance. The room darkened and for a split second, Whisper believed that the shadows would leap out and engulf her. Amethyst lightning flared across his hands and he took a step towards Whisper. "If you find that rat Rykhan...kill him. I don't care if you have to personally drag his screaming soul into the depths of Hell, I want him dead!" he roared.

Whisper stepped back nodding. Quickly Shi regained his former composure and light began to fill the chamber once more. "I'm glad you understand Whisper. Now get out of my sight. I need to speak with someone in private."

Turning, Whisper left the room as fast as she could without seeming to show signs of weakness. Despite this however, she smirked as she pictured the upcoming struggle. In a way she hoped that the fairies put up a decent enough fight. It had been far too long since she had last had a decent fight.


	9. The Wilds

The wind howled like a mournful soul around Juvia as she pulled Grey through the forest. Swirls of falling snow filled her vision and the wind chilled her to the bone but still she persevered. Slowly, she turned towards Grey. The ice mage's head was hung low and his breath coming out in ragged breathes that were visible against the darkening sky.

"We need to find a place to rest for the night," he grunted in pain, the damaged arm hanging limply at his side. His footsteps were irregular as he staggered along with her. "You should let me go, I can manage." The moment he tried to take his weight off of Juvia's shoulder however, he gasped in agony as pain jolted through his arm. Catching him, Juvia slowly shook her head.

"You can't go on alone Grey-Sama," she shook her head, bearing his weight the best she could although she was still slowed down a great deal. Gritting her teeth, she looked around. Wherever she looked, Juvia saw only trees. Piercing up into the dark sky, mages beneath like beneath like malevolent sentinels, silently watching for any sign of weakness. "Juvia won't leave Grey-Sama here in the dark."

Grey smiled weakly at Juvia. As annoying as he sometimes found her, he couldn't deny the fact that her loyalty was touching. She smiled back briefly before taking on a mask of utter determination as she advanced through the undergrowth with Grey in tow. The temperature was dropping rapidly, causing even Grey to start shivering and without shelter, they would soon perish in the blizzard. Shaking violently, Juvia looked about her in attempt to find somewhere to wait out the storm. Squinting through the gloom, Juvia could just about make out an opening in a rock face ahead.  
Gritting her teeth, she pulled Grey into the cleft. Once inside, she lay him down to study his wounds.

Reaching slowly across, the blunette hesitated slightly. The sleeve around the broken limb was stained scarlet. The tang of blood filled Juvia's nostrils as she slowly bent down and undid his buttons. Grey winced slightly as her trembling fingers sent sensations flaring through his arm. Gently as she could, the girl peeled back the coat to reveal the wound. The sight was nauseating. Protruding from his arm, the shrapnel shard seemed to throb slightly with beat of Grey's heart. Thick, oozing blood filled the area, some of it starting too scab over as the ice mage's body attempted to repair the grievous damage. Broken at the elbow, the arm itself was bent backwards. Tentatively, Juvia reached for the shard.

"No don't! Are you crazy?" Grey exclaimed, backing away suddenly as he saw Juvia's intentions, "You can't just yank it out like that! It could kill me."

Juvia pulled her arm back slightly. She regarded him with sympathetic eyes. "Juvia just wants to see it. Do you trust Juvia Grey Sama?"

Grey paused. Quietly, he looked at his arm then at Juvia. There was something about her that he couldn't quite explain. Maybe it was the gentle tone of voice or perhaps the way her eyes seemed to harbour such warmth that he had rarely seen before. He played back her words back in his mind. Hesitantly, he edged closer, allowing her to inspect the damage.

"Just..be careful." he muttered.

Nodding slowly, Juvia removed her gloves and reached out. Gingerly, she took a hold of him. Grey felt a strange shiver ran up his spine as she made contact, Juvia's soft, velvet skin running along his arm. He glanced upwards into the girl's face. Juvia's normal mask of flirtatious glee had been replaced by a look of grim determination, the oceans of her eyes washing over him. Slowly, she touched the shard, eliciting a pained wince from Grey before pulling away once more and locking her eyes with his.

"Do you trust Juvia?" she asked simply.

Grey nodded slowly in response. A shadow of a smile flickered of the water girl's features before once more taking the far more serious expression. Reaching into her satchel, she produced a length of cloth and a pencil before turning back to him. She then told him to bite down on the pen. Grey's eyes widening as he realised the extent of Juvia's plan. If he objected however, he kept his notions to himself.

Rolling up her sleeves, Juvia took a hold of the spear of metal and lightly tugged at it. Grey grunted in obvious pain but she tried to did her best to drone out the sound. She tugged again, feeling slightly less resistance as the thing started to come loose (luckily it had not gone down to the bone which both she and Grey were only too thankful for). She paused and risked a glance at Grey. The ice mage's teeth were clenched in agony, the pencil starting to splinter with the force. She swallowed hard. She hated that she had to do this to him. Better get it over with.

"Ready Grey Sama?" she asked. Grey nodded, bracing himself for the inevitable.

Taking a firmer hold, Juvia pulled at the metal, ripping it clear in one quick tug. Grey screamed in agony as blood began to spurt and flow from the freshly opened wound. Feeling pale at the sight, Juvia quickly reached for the bandage cloth. Urgently she wrapped it around the gash, stopping further blood loss. Once certain that the bandage was secured, Juvia stepped back to allow Grey room to breath. The mage's breathes came out in ragged gasps that condensed on contact with the air. Juvia gave him a sorrowful smiled as she knew his pain had not yet fully come to an end.

"Now to set the bone." she said quietly.

Juvia reached into the bag once more in search of wrappings to create a cast, only to pull up a pitiful amount of cloth. She looked at Grey then at herself. Blushing she looked at him as an idea made its way into her head. Gently she undid the buttons on her coat and to reveal the blouse underneath. Before Grey knew what was going on, she started to slide the blouse up a little to reveal the porcelain skin underneath.

"Are you crazy?" he exclaimed suddenly, turning to avert his gaze, "Don't take off your clothes in weather this cold. You'll freeze."

Juvia looked at him in amusement, enjoying the irony of the ice mage's request. Shaking her head, she pulled down quickly, tearing off the lower half of her shirt. Putting her coat back on, Juvia wrapped the torn fabric around the shattered limb with care in lieu of a proper cast. To hold it in place, she removed the pin emblazoned with the Fairy Tail crest that she otherwise wore about her collar. She lightly tugged on it just do double check its strength. Satisfied, she shuffled back to admire her handiwork. Staring in partial disbelief, Grey studied the handmade bandage. Despite the scavenged materials, it was surprisingly well suited to its purpose, as it held Grey's otherwise limp arm in place. He offered her a weak smile.

"Thanks Juvia," he said, "I must say that was impressive."

"Anything for you Grey Sama," she smiled radiantly at him. She shuffled back, closer than before to him. When Grey did not object, Juvia dared to move closer. Closer. Closer. Only when did she feel herself pressing lightly against his good side, did Grey shuffle awkwardly, although even then it was the most minute of movements that may have been unnoticed it Juvia were not so close.

"May Juvia ask you a question Grey Sama?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper against the howling wind outside the cave.

"Sure," he replied.

Juvia hesitated as she tried to find the words. Did she even want to know his answer? Briefly she considered the possible differences between the answer she knew she wanted Grey to give and the possible answer that he might indeed give her. No, she decided. She had to know. She deserved to know if nothing else.

"Grey Sama..." she paused once more before continuing, "What do you like in a girl?"

Grey appeared to be taken aback by the odd question. His handsome features taking on a look of puzzlement as he considered the question which had been asked of him seemingly out of the blue. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just...curious." she replied quietly, then repeated, "Juvia just wants to know. If Grey Sama does not mind of course."

"I don't see any reason why not," Grey nodded, "If nothing else, its the least I can do to repay you." He gestured to the sling. He then went quiet as he considered the question posed to him. Juvia watched him, eagerly awaiting his answer.

"Well I suppose that would depend on if you are referring to personality or body," he said at length as though still considering his answer, "I'm assuming you meant the former. Well I used to think that I was most attracted to flirty girls who know how to have a good time. You know the kind?"

"Yes," Juvia sighed sadly, guessing he was referring to girls such as Love Rival and Mirajane, girls renowned for their love of fun and beauty, one of which was a literal supermodel. Eyes cast down, she stared at her feet as she hugged her knees to her chest.

"But recently, I may have had reason to think otherwise," Grey continued. Slowly Juvia raised her head.

"Really?" she asked quietly, "What makes you say that?"

Grey smiled a little. "Nothing in particular. Let's just say I'm starting to think of another type of girl." Quietly he reached other with his good arm and rested his hand on Juvia's shoulder. The girl glanced towards him, her cheeks going slightly pink. Sighing happily, she scooted over to him and rested her head against him, enjoying his warmth as they listened to the howling wind outside.

~~~  
Grey jolted awake at the sudden sound. Rubbing his head he looked around. Although the sun had started to rise, the light was still very dimmed, in no way aided by the dark clouds overhead. Peering out in to the twilight, he squinted as he tried to make out what was going on. There was no sign of movement beyond the cave mouth. Had he imagined it?

 _Crunch._ There it came again. Grey was sure of it. It sounded like footprints on the freshly settled snow. As silent as he was able, he turned to Juvia. The girl was breathing slowly, unheeding of whatever approached. Grey paused, watching her for a moment. He smiled and reached down, lightly caressing her cheek with his good arm. Another crunch snapped him back to reality.

"Juvia?" He whispered, his breath forming clouds of vapour on contact with the air. Slowly hers flickered open and she groggily propped herself up on one elbow. She blinked her eyes rapidly, giving him a puzzled look.

"Grey Sama? Wha..?" She began before Grey placed a single finger to her lips.]

"There's something out there," he whispered and gestured outside with a flick of his head. Understanding at once, Juvia got up, adopting a defensive stance. Wincing in pain, Grey pushed himself slowly to his feet, his wounded arm flaring in pain. He cursed silently. Without use of one arm, his ice make magic would be unstable, putting at him at a major disadvantage. He toyed with the idea of using one handed casting but ultimately decided that he would only do so in dire straits. He told Juvia of this.

"Juvia understands," she nodded grimly, turning back towards the cave entrance. "She won't let anything hurt her Grey Sama?"

The sounds of crunching snow picked up. Out of the gloom, a woman stepped out towards them. Her long flowing hair was jet black, although Grey could make out faint streaks of red highlights. Her eyes burned with amber fire as she locked them on the two mages. She wearing armour of an unknown black material gilded with gold.

"Well, well," she said, her words like poisoned honey, "What do we have here? A couple of Fairies caught out in a storm." Her eyes fell upon Grey and a smirk spread across her face. "And one of them is quite the looker."

Grey shifted uncomfortably at her words. Juvia meanwhile, was visibly shaking in rage as she took a bold step towards the girl.

"Who are you and what do you want?" She said, her voice struggling to remain level. The girl let out a small laugh and flashed that same sneer at her.

"My name is Whisper and my master has a strong desire to have you removed from the picture." she said simply, "If you come with me, you might be allowed to live in relative agony."

"Not a chance," Grey growled out, a cold mist starting to surround him.

Whisper grinned. "I hoped you would say that." Sorcerous energies began to crackle around her. Realising the threat, Juvia leapt into action, summoning a water whip to lash out at Whisper. The spell struck hard against Whisper, causing her back to stagger back a few feet. Teeth bared in anger, Juvia drew back her arm.

" _Water Slicer!"_ She exclaimed, swiping her arm out across her chest. The slicer shot towards Whisper. Unlike the whip however, Whisper saw the attack coming and gracefully leapt over the watery projectile. Smirking darkly, Whisper reached out, her fingers posed like claws, green witch fire flickering around the tips.

" _Eldritch spear!"_ She barked. A lance of darkest energy sprang from her outstretched hand, sizzling past Juvia's ear and obliterating the pillar of rock behind her into tiny shards. Unfazed by this, Juvia leapt into action. Unable to call upon his own magics reliably, Grey was forced to sit back and watched.

The two girls weaved back and forth, trading spells and blows. Green arcs of energy crackled through the air only to be met with torrents of water in reply. Stalagmites exploded as the girl's tore up the earth around them. Juvia ducked a blast of energy and shot at her opponent with a water nebular. Rising above her head, the tide came crashing down, slamming into Whisper with tremendous force. For a moment, Grey watched as she feel and dared to hope for the briefest of moments that perhaps Juvia had defeated the dark mage. Eyes filled with anger, Whisper sprang back to her feet, droplet trailing down her forehead and her chest heaving as she caught her breath.

"You little Bitch!" She roared, "You'll pay for that Water Girl. _Eldritch Blast!"_ Emerald flames exploded from her hands. Sensing the danger, Juvia brought forth a wall of water to defend herself. With a hiss, the two forces clashed but as great as Juvia's power was, Whisper's was greater. Breaking through the water wall, the emerald flames exploded, driving Juvia back. Whisper strode through the dancing steam vapours, her hand outstretched to deliver the final killing blow before Juvia could regain her composure.

 _"Ice make Dart!"_ The shard of ice that exploded against Whisper's pauldrons was weak and brittle. Yet it served its purpose. Averting her gaze from Juvia, Whisper locked her eyes on Grey. Wounded though he was, the ice mage knew he had to step in. Unstable as his powers were, he refused to be caught defenceless or to stand by and let his friend be killed.

"I must say that was pathetic Dear," Whisper chuckled, "I hope you weren't trying to defeat me with that puny incantation."

Grey shook his head. "No I wasn't trying that at all. I was just trying to distract you."

"Distract me..?" Too late did Whisper realise her folly. As she began to turn, Whisper was caught by the full fury of Juvia's spell, thousands of water darts striking her down. Whisper staggered under the assault then collapsed, unconscious. Grey smiled as Juvia stumbled over.

"We need to get out of here." he said.

Juvia seemed concerned. "Can you walk on your own Grey Sama?"

He nodded slowly. "I think so. Let's just get out of here before she wakes up." Walking forward, he headed out of the cave, Juvia walking by his side as the red rays of the sun finally crested the horizon.


	10. Lost and Found

Grey clutched his arm as he stumbled through the snow. How many was that now? Juvia, who had slowed down to allow him to keep pace with her, was casting her gaze into the tree's around her. Dark shapes darted through the skeletons of trees, hungrily marking the wizards as they fought to surround them.

Wolves. Normally neither Grey nor Juvia would have been overly concerned with the predators, knowing that their magic was more than enough to keep the beasts at bay. But with Grey wounded and both of them exhausted from their travels, the wolves had grown bolder as if sensing their weakness. One of them drew closer. Grey kept watch out of the corner of his eye, knowing full well that for every one wolf that he could see, there were at least half a dozen that he couldn't.

Piercing the air with their howls, the creatures called more of their kin to the hunt. Hearing that howl, sent an unnatural shiver down Grey's spine as some primordial instinct awoke within him. He glanced at Juvia. The poor girl was doing little better. Eyes darting around, Juvia's breathing was becoming rapid as the wolves approached, closing the noose. Their jaws were slavering and their bestial eyes hungrily marked their chosen meal. Most of them seemed to lock eyes on Grey, sensing that he had been weakened. Grey swallowed hard and prepared himself to meet the charge of the first wolf.

Suddenly the wolves stopped in their advance, mere feet away from the couple. As one, they turned their heads towards the east and lowered their ears in distress. They glanced between the mages and the east before quickly darting away back into the depths of the forest. Grey counted a few heartbeats before turning toward Juvia.

"What in the name of..."

Before Juvia could answer his question or if Grey could even finish forming the entire sentence, the quiet was broken by the sound of footsteps approaching them from the East. The steps were heavy and sounded like they were human judging by the regularity of them. Not soon after, a figure shuffled into view. He was indeed a man. His grey beard was long and largely unkempt. His stout form was wrapped heavily in furs to drive out the worst of the winter winds. His wild eyes washed over Grey and Juvia for a moment.

"What brings two wizards of the Fairy Tail guild into my home?" he asked, extending one arm almost accusingly toward them.

"We were on a mission and got attacked," Juvia explained, "My friend was injured and we need help." The man looked at Juvia then looked at Grey. He then sighed reluctantly and nodded. Gesturing with his arm for them to follow him, he began to shuffle his way back through the snow. Juvia started to follow him but felt a hand lightly grasp on her sleeve, pulling her back.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Grey whispered, "How do we know we can trust him?"

"You don't," The stout man shouted back at them in reply, although he was already some distance away, "But you can either come with me and get rest or stay out here and be attacked by wolves. Its your choice Master Wizard."

Without waiting to see if they were following him, the man turned and continued on his path through the snow laden forest. Giving Grey a shrug, Juvia slowly started to follow the man. Grey shook his head and sighed, before he too finally gave in and followed them. Trudging through the snow, the wizards followed the man until they eventually came across a cabin. A flickering light from within the windows accompanied by a column of swirling smoke emanating from the chimney indicated the warmth housed within. Any reservations concerning the old man were quickly placed to the back of Grey and Juvia's minds as the thought of a warm fire and bed for the night beckoned them towards the cabin.

The moment Grey stepped into the house, he was grabbed violently by his good wrist and dragged over to a table by the old man. Juvia shrieked and started forward in protest only to be stopped by a hard glare from the man. Watching on in silence, Juvia followed them as the man set Grey down on the table, showing absolutely no compassion as he did so.

"What are you doing to him?" Juvia gasped, wanting to rush forward and push the man away before he harmed her beloved further but seemingly unable as he shambled around.

"Fixing your friend," The man grumbled moving over to a cluttered shelf near the table, "If you want to help, hold him down and keep I'm quiet. If not, then sit down and shut the hell up so I can work." Without giving Juvia another second of his attention, he preceded to rummage through the shelf, glass bottles clinking as he searched their contents. Shaking her head, Juvia turned her attention towards Grey. The ice mage glared at old man.

"Some Host," he muttered. Juvia dipped her head and ran her fingers gingerly through his hair and glanced at the man. If their erstwhile host heard Grey's remark, he gave no sign. Juvia shook her head.

"Well at least once this is done, Juvia and Grey Sama can be on their way on the job," she said as she smiled quietly down upon him. Grey raised an eyebrow and looked like he was about to ask her a question when his face suddenly contorted in pain, giving cry to an agonising yell. Taking the opportunity to get close while Grey was distracted, the bearded man had grabbed a hold of the wounded arm, working fast to undo Juvia's bandage. As Grey began to thrash about in twisted agony, the man shot Juvia another look.

"Hurry up and hold him down Water Girl," he growled as he fought against Grey. Understanding, Juvia took a hold of her friend and pinned him down against the table. Gritting her teeth in effort, Juvia strained against Grey as the ice wizard's struggles grew ever more violent as the man tore off the bandage and examined the mangled arm.

"For heavens sake Woman do something!" he growled pulling out a syringe and beginning to fill it with a virulent red potion, "Or I may end up doing more damage than good!" Seeing the needle, Juvia looked back at Grey. Biting her lip, the girl climbed atop the table and pinned Grey beneath the entirety of her weight. Pacified and unable to move for the time being, Grey looked upwards at Juvia. For one second their eyes met, all other worries forgotten as Grey lost himself in the rolling oceans gazing back at him.

Grey's troubles came stabbing back as his "healer" pierced his flesh with the needle and began to pump the curious elixir into his bloodstream. Thrashing about, Grey's body instinctively tried to lunge forward and get him away from the source of pain. Only Juvia's body pressing down against him prevented Grey from stumbling out and causing him greater harm. Falling forward, Juvia yelped as she fought against Grey, hearing a sickly crunching sound as bones knitted back together. She felt his heaving chest pushing against her breast. Sweat beaded on their brows, their breathes coming out in ragged gasps. Slowly Grey calmed, his struggles receding gradually. Juvia sighed heavily in relief.

"Um Juvia...you can um get off me now," Grey remarked quietly. Juvia tilted her head slightly before realising her position; straddling Grey's waist with her chest resting upon his. Blood flushing her face, Juvia looked away sheepishly and climbed down. Sitting up, Grey flexed his arm. Despite the apparent roughness of his treatment, the limb had miraculously been repaired with no evidence of any damage have besotted it at all. Staring in disbelief, the mages turned toward the old man.

"What on earth did you use on me?" Grey asked slowly. The man's face grew dark and he held up the contents of the empty flask, what little liquid remaining inside swishing around haphazardly.

"The very reason you are here Master Wizard," he replied. "Sit. Both of you." He indicated to a small couch by a fireplace. Taking their seat, the wizards looked up at him, Juvia taking the chance to scoot closer to Grey before voicing her concerns.

"So who are you?" she asked.

"And how do you know we're from Fairy Tail," Grey put in.

The man stroked his beard and briefly smiled. "You don't live as long as I have without picking up the old trick here and there," he replied slowly, "As for who I am, my name is Rykhan and it was I who sent the job request to your guild. I intended to fill you in with further details back in New Fucia but...well as you are aware, certain events happened that prevented me from being able to reach you."

Grey's eyes flashed. "Wait. Did you send us the note?"

Rykhan nodded. "I couldn't risk drawing more attention to myself. Your target has eyes everywhere."

"Yes, you said in the original job notice that we were meant to prevent a rogue wizard from experimenting with something volatile," Juvia interjected thoughtfully, "Perhaps now would be the perfect opportunity to alert us to what we are facing and where to find them."

Rykhan looked down in deep thought. "Very well. Years ago I was contacted to work alongside several other wizards to work on a secret project up in the mountains. The project leader was a man by the name of Shi. I now wonder if he was indeed a man. He promised us riches and power beyond all reckoning should we help him realise his ambition. To create the Elixir of Life."

"What?!" Grey exclaimed sitting forward in his seat "Are you saying this guy is trying to find a way to live forever?"

"Precisely."

"But Sir," Juvia raised an eyebrow, "Why then do you want us to stop him? If this Shi finds a way to create the Elixir, surely wouldn't it be a great achievement for all humanity."

"That's what I thought at first," Rykhan replied staring down into the contents of the vial, "But as the years went by, we were never able to create the Elixir. At best we could slow the aging process but never stop it. And with every passing winter, Shi grew more and more impatient. He began to banish those wizards who displeased him from his sight never to be seen again. He would take to locking himself away in his study for months on end with no touch of food or water. We had our suspicions to be sure but nothing was ever proven. It was then that the guards appeared."

"Guards?" Grey inquired.

"Yes. One day, we found every exit blocked by figures clad in dark mail armour. Those of us that tried to leave were cut down without mercy. A few others tried to confront Shi directly. They lasted seconds. It was then that we learnt of our master's true intent. Shi wished to perfect the Elixir and use its power conquer the globe. I don't know how long he had been seeking the cure to death but he had obviously been at it long before he had contacted us. Maybe even decades and every year he had delved deeper and deeper into the dark arts. He reasoned that the best way to cheat death was to master it. Necromancy."

Beside her, Juvia felt Grey tense up. The couch trembled beneath her as Grey shook with rage. The ice mage had reason enough to hate necromancers, those who used the dead as a puppeteer controls a macabre marionette. Gently she placed her hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm him. Rykhan watched them, seeming almost ashamed by his past actions.

"For years he kept us in his keep in the mountains, sustaining us only with the few dregs of potion that he cared to spare. I couldn't take it anymore. One night I grabbed whatever vials of Elixir I could and legged it. I barely made it past the guards and I've been hiding here ever since. " he sighed, "Now you know. I understand if you are hesitant to continue with the mission."

"We'll take him down!" Grey growled suddenly, his voice barely quieter than a shout. Juvia started at the sound, "We'll take that bastard down and anyone dumb enough to follow him! He won't touch the dead again when I'm through with him. He'll be part of them!" Rykhan smiled slowly.

"Thank you Master Wizard. We'll set out in the morning. Until then, sleep well. You'll need it."

With a gentle bow, Rykhan departed the room, leaving Grey and Juvia alone in the flickering firelight. For a while, the two sat in silence, watching as the flames flickered and danced around the fireplace, curling upwards before disappearing up into the chimney. Juvia glanced at Grey. The ice mage as staring broodingly into the flames, blanking out everything else around him.

"Grey Sama?" she started. Grey snapped out of his trance like state and regarded her with eyes wild with emotion.

"I'll take them all down!" Grey snarled, a tear beginning to stream down his cheek, "I won't lose them again." Juvia leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, almost surprised when he

as staring broodingly into the flames, blanking out everything else around him.

"Grey Sama?" she started. Grey snapped out of his trance like state and regarded her with eyes wild with emotion.

"I'll take them all down!" Grey snarled, a tear beginning to stream down his cheek, "I won't lose them again." Juvia leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, almost surprised when he didn't make any attempt to push her away. Closing her eyes, she rubbed his back as she held him closer.

"Silver would be proud of you Grey Sama," she whispered gently as he cried quietly into his shoulder. Grey gripped her tightly, not wishing to let go.

"Please...just call me Grey," he told her as they embraced, face buried into her shoulder. Juvia looked at him in partial shock. Grey had never asked her that. Never given her that level of closeness as strange a thing as it was.

"But Juvia likes to call Grey Sama that," she replied softly into his ear, causing Grey to pull back slightly. Was "Grey Sama," Juvia's pet name for him? He looked once more into Juvia's sparkling eyes. She had beautiful eyes. He had always noticed that about her ever since she joined Fairy Tail. Strange when they had first met, he had been hesitant to work with her to say the least. Now? Well now he couldn't imagine life without the blunette (even as disturbing as some of her habits were.)

"Thanks Juvia," he smiled, "I needed that."

"Juvia is always happy to help Grey Sama whenever he feels sad," she smiled, standing and turning to give Grey some privacy when she suddenly felt his hand grab her gently by the wrist. Surprised, Juvia watched as Grey pulled her down, hugging her. The water girl watched in silence for a moment before embracing him, her hand rubbing gently against his back as Grey buried himself into the hair about shoulder, content to hold her as the winter winds howled outside.


	11. Death's Servants

The snow crunched softly under Whisper's tread as she made her way slowly through the undergrowth. She would not fail the Master again. For a second, she felt a cold chill run up her spine at the thought, something more than the sub zero temperature that surrounded her. Shi had reacted towards her failure surprisingly calmly, something that terrified her far more than any of his rages.

Behind her, the eldritch mage could feel the burning gaze of Leuthere watching her. Turning to face the dark knight, Whisper put upon a mask of emotionlessness so as not to betray the feeling of dread that permeated from the captain of Shi's guard. Clad in ornate armour of an archaic design, the wight's bleached skull grinned back at her. Eyes of emerald witchfire burned in its empty sockets, filled with a loathing hatred of all living things. Since his resurrection at the hands of the necromancer, Leuthere had only ever failed once in his duty to serve his master. Now with Whisper and his skeletal men at arms by his side, the wight would ensure that his wrong was righted.

"We are near?" Leuthere demanded in a voice dryer and harsher than the desert sands, his mouth remaining still.

"Yes. The Fairies were remarkably easy to track." Whisper responded, somewhat agitated.

"Good," Leuthere seemed pleased, "We will bring the master's wrath down upon the traitor."

"Just leave the water mage to me," Whisper growled, "I have a score to settle with her."

******  
Grey scanned the woods around them as Rykhan led him and Juvia deeper into the woods. The trees watched them from above like insidious sentinels. Juvia scooted closer to her prince, red flushing her face as she no doubt recounted the night before, only the risk of offending Grey preventing her from latching onto him.

Grey cast his thoughts back to the night before. What had made him kiss her? Was it out of pity for her. No it certainly didn't feel like that to him. Maybe it had been simply to repay her kindness? Possible but neither did that entirely make sense. Whatever the reason he had kissed her, all he knew for certain was that he had done so willingly and that he enjoyed it to a far greater extent than he had expected.

Up ahead, Rykhan halted. The wizened old man held out a hand, craning his neck to the treetops expectantly. Grey looked at Juvia for answers but the water girl simply shrugged. Turning they watched the old man. A few heartbeats passed until as if conjured from the air, a raven glided down, coming to land on Rykhan's outstretched limb. Bringing it close to him, the wizard smiled as though welcoming an old acquaintance.

"Um what's with the bird?" Grey asked, slowly approaching. The bird cawed at him and shuffled on its perch until it felt Rykhan's hand gently stroke the back of its neck. The old man smiled knowingly.

"The creatures of the wilds can be of great assistance Master Grey," he stated, "If one knows how to ask them?"

"Is that how you knew where we were?" Juvia asked. The old man responded by tapping his nose with one crooked finger.

Flapping its wings in an agitated manner, the raven cawed. Eyes widening, Rykhan turned to the creature and lifted it to his ear. When Grey and Juvia attempted to ask what was going on, Rykhan hissed at them for silence as the bird chattered away in his ear. Finally, after a few seconds, the creature flew away. A cold wind ran through the trees and Rykhan's face went visibly pale behind his beard. Juvia walked closer.

"What's wrong sir? What did the bird say."

Rykhan's lips trembled. "In the trees, they come. They come for you."

As if to mimic the bird's warning, a sound began to echo through the trees. It was regular and heavy, like the staccato rhythm of soldiers on the parade ground yet softened by the snow beneath. Eyes darting around them, Grey, Juvia and Rykhan formed a circle as shadowy figures began to detach themselves from the shadows. The smell of decay filled the air. Clad in rusting armour, the apparitions waited at the edge of the trees. Watching them, the skeletal figure's eye with a jealous hatred for all living things.

"Skeletons?" Grey growled between grit teeth as he watched the undead stare lifelessly back at him.

"Aye, one of Shi's pet mages must be nearby in order to keep these things moving," Rykhan observed.

"Now now Rykhan Dear, you know I prefer the term "acolyte of necromancy." The feminine voice that came from the trees was as smooth as poisoned honey. Silently a wave of skeletons parted in perfect unison allowing two figures to stride past. One neither Grey nor Juvia had seen before. It was skeleton but an even greater aura of dread hung over the creature almost like an unearthly miasma. Its armour seemed untouched by the passage of time, shining with the same magnificence it had hundreds of years ago. The wight's eyes seemed to glint with a vestige of intelligence beyond that of any mere corpse puppet. That fact alone caused a shiver to stab its way at Grey's heart.

The second figure was already known to them.

"Juvia remembers you." The blue haired girl growled. Whisper raised an eyebrow and sneered at Juvia before turning to Grey.

"Still hanging around with this loser Handsome?" Whisper asked Grey flicking her head toward the water girl, "How about you ditch her and I'll show what a real woman can do?" She winked impishly at the ice mage. Grey shook his head and shuffled closer to the others.

"She's more of a woman to me than you'll ever be," He growled in reply, quickly glancing back at Juvia for the faintest of seconds before returning his look back towards the dark mage.

"If you're quite done flirting, you can get out of our sight Whisper," Rykhan snarled, "It's your master we wish to deal with, not his servant."

Anger flared across Whisper's face as she fixed her eyes on the old man. One could almost feel the loathing radiating from her.

"How dare you! Shi needs me! I will be by his side as he sweeps away the weakling guilds and ascends to Godhood!" She yelled, bolts of dark energy crackling around her. "And you will all be forgotten! Now die!"

Casting her arm out, Whisper gestured towards the three wizards. Silently obeying the command, the skeletal legion began to march slowly forth, rusted blades grasped in fleshless fingers. Grey raised his arms and prepared to cast ice geyser when he felt a surge of magical energy beside him.

" _Wild Magic: Root Whips_!"

Bursting forth from under the blanket of snow, several thick oaken roots sprung forth striking the undead puppets. Grey smiled a little as he saw Rykhan's hand guiding the trees to exact his terrible vengeance upon Shi's minions. The creatures gave no sign of fear throughout however, even as brittle bones were broken and skulls smashed by the flailing flora. Instead those who were able hacked their way through with a grim determination. Nodding at each other, Grey and Juvia sprang forth to eliminate these stragglers, water whips and ice lances breaking killing those few who got through.

In a spectacular explosion of emerald light, the roots disintegrated. Behind the charred remains, Whisper leapt forth, the skeleton in ornate armour running in close on her heals. The wight stopped and surveyed the scene before marching towards Grey, deadly intent alit in its eyes. Conjuring the Ice Demon's longsword, the ice mage entered a defensive stance as he waited for the ghast to attempt it's first attack. For a moment the wight stopped. Then it dipped its head, giving Grey a salut as though acknowledging the challenge. It then reached into its scabbard and pulled free a blade wreathed in the very same emerald flames that burned within its sockets.

Slowly the warriors circled each other, each studying the other's form. With a wordless battle cry, the skeleton lunged forward bringing his witchfire blade arcing around. It was reflex rather than skill that allowed Grey to parry the blow. Spinning around, Grey slashed at the dark knight with a succession of rapid strikes. One blow caught the wight's pauldron, that piece of armour protecting the shoulder. The wight staggered back under the force of the blow, the armour threatening to buckle.

Leaping back, Grey summoned a series of ice lances that he sent shooting at his opponent. Each striking with the force of a small thunderbolt, the lances penetrated into the creature's ebony armour, sending it crashing to the ground with a harsh clang. Turning away from his fallen adversary, Grey paused only momentarily before leaping back into the fray.

Juvia stood amidst a cluster of skeletons, nimbly dodging their clumsy blows. Not far off Rykhan's wild magics clashed against the eldritch sorceries of Whisper, the two mages dancing between flailing trees and flickering lights. Juvia didn't have time to attempt to aid her ally or even watch the spectacle as the skeletons closed in. One blade caught Juvia before she could register it, drawing blood as it tore through her flesh. Another lunged forward. Its blade however p[assed harmlessly through water as Juvia prepared herself in time phasing momentarily into her water body. Holding her breath, Juvia watched them advance. Just a little closer.

 _"Water Jigsaw!"_ Thousands upon thousands of dart like slivers of water shot from Juvia's outstretched hands in all directions. Cracking ribs and breaking bones, the spell tore the skeletons apart with its fury, disrupting the dark enchantments that gave them form. Damaged beyond even the foul regenerative powers of necromancy, the warriors crumbled into useless piles of bone upon the floor.

Grey came rushing over. "Are you alright?"

Juvia nodded. "Yes but there are more coming. Juvia knows it."

Grey exhaled and looked around. Whether it was some magical sixth sense of sheer dumb luck, he detected movement behind him and dived out of the way of the blade arcing for his neck, pulling Juvia with him. Stood before him was the same knight from before. Frost encrusted holes marked where Grey's lances had struck it. Whereas any living being would have been killed by the attack, their organs impaled by icy shards, the wight suffered no such hinderances.

Grey brought his ice sword swinging around in an attempt to strike at it. But this time the wight was ready and parried the blow. Retaliating quickly, the wight's blade came slashing down at Grey. In a flare of green flames, its sword shattered Grey's blade and drove him into the ground, where he lay passed out.

Flying into a rage, Juvia lunged at the wight with her water whip. But ultimately this did little more than annoy the creature. Looking at her with what may have been contempt, the creature lashed out and drove the pommel of its sword into Juvia's gut. Winded, Juvia doubled over in pain. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of eldritch energy engulf the landscape followed by a terrifying scream of agony. Silence filled the clearing. Then gentle footsteps approached.

"Say goodnight Dear," A voice like poisoned honey purred into Juvia's ear. Then something crackled against her skull and Juvia knew no more.


End file.
